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John N. DuPont Research

Joining and welding are used by most major industries such as aircraft and aerospace, automotive, power generation, and electronics. Professor DuPont and his students are conducting research to understand the relationships between the processing, microstructure, and properties in joining and solidification. This work involves a combined experimental and modeling approach that relies heavily on microstructural and property characterization. Current research is sponsored by both industrial and government organizations to model and control the solidification behavior in complex alloys such as high alloy austenitic stainless steels and nickel base superalloys. The resultant properties of interest include, mechanical (e.g., toughness and fatigue crack growth), high temperature and aqueous corrosion, and solid particle erosion. Interdisciplinary research is also being conducted with the Mechanical Engineering Department to develop models for heat flow and residual stresses in welds, and with the Chemical Engineering Department for controlling welding fumes.

Light optical photomicrograph of martensite layer that forms along the fusion line of a dissimilar metal weld between ferritic steel and austenitic stainless steel.

Current Research Programs:

· Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, Interdisciplinary
Research and Education in Solid Freeform Fabrication with Laser Engineered Net
Shaping, National Science Foundation.

· with Herman Nied and John Ochs of ME Department, Mikkel Groover of
IE Department, Scott Hummel of ME Department Lafayette College, and Randall
German of ME Department Penn State University, Co-PIs, Acquisition of a Solid
Freeform Fabrication Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research and Education
in Manufacturing through a University/Industry Consortium, National Science
Foundation.